Cushman & Wakefield today announced Gregory S. Vorwaller, one of the industry's most
experienced property investment and finance executives, has joined the firm as Global Head of
Capital Markets. He joins Cushman & Wakefield from CB Richard Ellis, where he was Chief
Operating Officer of Capital Markets and President of its Investment Properties Group. He will
be based in Chicago.
Mr. Vorwaller has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services and real estate
industries, with an emphasis on advising institutional investors on real estate investment
strategies, structured finance, real estate securitization and property sales. For more than a
decade at CB Richard Ellis he oversaw its Investment Properties Group.
At Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Vorwaller will be responsible for the division of the firm
that specializes in representing third-party investors in the acquisition, disposition,
financing and recapitalization of commercial real estate worldwide. Cushman & Wakefield
maintains 231 offices in 60 countries. In 2009, its Capital Markets Group completed sales and
financing transactions valued at more than $31 billion globally.
"Greg has deep market knowledge on a global basis and will be an outstanding addition
to our global Capital Markets platform," said Cushman & Wakefield President and Chief
Executive Officer Glenn Rufrano. "Our clients today are looking for a provider who can
consistently deliver high quality services and market knowledge in major core and emerging
markets - Greg brings that global expertise to our firm and our clients at the highest
level."
"I am looking forward to helping build on a well established, highly experienced
capital markets capability in major markets worldwide," said Mr. Vorwaller. "This is
a market in transition and the firms that emerge as leaders will be the ones that help their
clients navigate the changes and capitalize on emerging opportunities. I'm looking forward to
further enhancing the Cushman & Wakefield platform to ensure the delivery of best in class,
market-leading services to our clients on a global basis."
Prior to CB Richard Ellis, where he spent 17 years, Mr. Vorwaller was Vice President in the
Real Estate Financial Department of The First National Bank of Chicago, where he was
responsible for advising corporate and real estate clients on alternative financing. Before
joining First Chicago, he was a Vice President in the Capital Markets Group of The Balcor
Company, where he had primary responsibility for the raising of funding for its merchant
building and build-to-suit operations.
Mr. Vorwaller is also well known in the pension fund industry where he served as a senior
consultant with Institutional Property Consultants, and founded the real estate consulting
practice of William M. Mercer's Asset Planning Group. Over the course of his career, Mr.
Vorwaller has been responsible for more than $6 billion in property sales, debt financings, and
sale/leaseback financings.
Mr. Vorwaller graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor's degree in
International Socioeconomic History and he has completed graduate coursework at Northwestern
University. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the Economic Club of Chicago.
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